Chapter 6

Chapter Six

ORO

Jerking straight up out of the bed, disoriented, it takes me a moment to figure out what has awakened me. Another huge explosion nearby has me scrambling to get my clothes on. Grabbing my weapons belt, I strap it on as I run out the door and into nothing but a fiery chaos.

The skies have opened up and instead of water pouring down upon us, huge chunks of lava are raining havoc. Screams echo all around as I sprint out into the main market. Orcs are running in every direction, but there is nowhere safe to go.

I barely move out of the way in time when a building explodes right in front of me. I turn towards the fortress and Zura , praying she has remained inside, but knowing in my heart. She will put herself in direct danger the moment she realizes what is happening all around us.

Rounding the corner, I am relieved to see that the fortress doors are still closed, and even though he is shaken up, the guard is still standing there. Before I can ask him if anyone has left, half the barracks come running towards me with multiple hoses in their hands. The oldest guard, Azog , starts barking out orders, and the next thing I know. I am holding a hose, unwinding it as the others fight their way into the flames that are approaching the fortress and our Sacred Waters .

The smoke has gotten so thick that it's become a red haze of heat all around us. Radyr takes off past me for a moment only to come back, handing out wet cloth for us to tie around our faces. The skin on the top of my shoulders feels like it's boiling, but I push the pain aside as the skies are peppering all of us with a rain of constant fire. Concentrating on holding the heavy hose as we try to fight off the worst of the fires, my mind can't absorb the horror consuming everything in front of us. Of all times for Zura to return, it would be in the middle of all this.

Pulling the hose along the water supply starts to lessen and when I try to roll it, the water becomes nothing but a trickle. Running my hands along the hose, I start making my way back towards the primary connections, hoping that it is only kinked and not burned into. The smoke is getting thicker and the roar of the fire is so loud I can barely hear the others yelling out orders to each other as we struggle to maintain this inferno.

The runes I have successfully kept hidden from everyone start pulsing under my skin. At first, I push it off as simply more damage from the falling debris all around, but when my heart jerks in my chest, I take off at a dead run. My legs pushing my massive form aggressively forward towards what I don't want to admit but in my heart. I know my Zura is near and in danger.

Coming around the bend, I watch it all happen in slow motion. No matter how fast I push myself. I am not going to make it to her in time. Zura is crouched down on the ground, her hands rapidly unrolling the kinked hose I had been holding. She doesn't see the fire racing its way towards her.

A huge firewall appears in front of me and my body curls in on itself instinctively as I shield my face from the worst of the flames as I jump through it. I can hear the sound of the trees breaking all around us. Just as I reach for Zura , an explosion behind me pushes me past her. Screaming out her name, my fingers miss her by a few inches. Landing hard on the ground, the pressure from the explosion has disoriented me. The spots before my eyes have me staring out into this red haze dazed.

My body instinctively pushes me to my feet. When A massive crash sounds behind me, I turn. Only to find A large tree is now lying where Zura was crouched down moments ago. Stumbling , I push my way towards the tree, searching for any sign of Zura , praying she had time to jump out of the way. Between the broken tree limbs and the fire, I almost miss the small green hand sticking out from under the burning branches. Roaring in anguish, I push against the tree. The fire along its trunk raging up my legs as it engulfs me, but I refuse to be parted from her. If this fire is to take her, it will gain us together this rising.

The Lord of Light must have heard the thoughts in my mind because the tree seems to flip over effortlessly after that. Horrified at the sight in front of me, a tortured scream leaves my lips. Zura lays unnaturally still, broken against the blackened ground. Blood runs freely from the wounds where the limbs impaled or ripped her skin off. Burns mark the delicate skin of her neck and pieces of her hair are burned off clear to the scalp. There isn't a piece of exposed skin not damaged in some way. I can tell one of her legs is broken and her wrist seems to be angled wrong.

The fire is pushing in on us and even though I know this is the worst thing I can do right now, I slide my arms under her gently, lifting her up slowly. I expect an anguished cry to leave her lips, but all I get is silence. Pulling her close, I try to find a safe way out of the fire coming closer, only to find nothing. Sending out a prayer for the Lord of Light to guide my steps. I tuck Zura into my body as close as possible and take off running. Seconds before I hit the wall of fire head on, a gust of wind pushes the flames away, and I clear the wall that had us trapped.

I pray I have not used up all my prayers for one lifetime as I seek a safe haven for us out of this horror. Zura needs a healer and the closest ones are at the sanctuary, but the fire is blocking the way. The roar of the flames has gotten so loud that I can no longer hear any of the others around us.

What , where can we go? My mind is so chaotic that it takes me a moment to get my feet moving. The caves! If I can get us to the other side of the Sacred Waters , the caves there should be far enough away from the fires to be safe if they haven't collapsed due to the earthquakes the lava balls are causing. I know several of them are stocked for when we are patrolling the outer perimeter.

Once I have a destination in mind, everything else is pushed away. Zura's heartbeat is erratic against my chest and I know the jarring of me running through the woods is only hurting her worse. For once, I am glad; she is unconscious. My own injuries are slowing me down, but I keep pushing through, as there is no time to stop. Circling the bank of the Sacred Waters , I can see the caves ahead.

The smoke is thick and heavy, but the destruction is not as evident here as it was in the main forest. Stopping a moment to catch my breath, I look for the easiest route up the cliff with Zura in my arms.

Lowering my nose down against her forehead, I nuzzle her hair. She smells like smoke, her natural essence hidden by the horror that has saturated her skin. Her breathing has become labored. She is a strong female, but everyone has their breaking point and I am terrified she is close to hers.

Dizzy from my own injuries, I force myself up the cliff face, each step harder than the last. I had originally planned to get us higher up, but instead, the coolness of the first cave beckons me near. Dragging my feet, I make it a few feet inside when my knees collapse. Hugging Zura , I make myself lower her to the ground before I drop her accidentally.

Looking around, I know there must be supplies here somewhere. One thing that Azog demands is that we keep all our outer camps stocked. Grabbing the wall, I push myself up and head deeper inside. The smoke clears more the further back I go, but so does the light. Feeling around the edges, I sigh in relief when I find a lantern.

Clicking the button, it takes several tries before it lights, but even with the help of the lantern. My eyes are so damaged by the smoke and heat of the fires. I can barely see around. Relying on memory mostly, I fumble about, looking for the water canister I know must be here.

The second my hands graze it, I twist the top off and take a deep pull, its coolness instantly relieving my burned throat. Splashing some over my face, I blink until my eyes clear. That's when I see the small cot and the provisions in the corner. Without another thought, I head back to where I laid Zura .

She hasn't moved and I don't know if that's good or bad. Picking her up, I head quickly to the dark coolness the cave is granting us further back. Laying her down, I try my best to straighten her out without harming her further. Grabbing the water canister, I lift her head up gently, trying to get her to drink something only for the water to run down her soot covered face.

Tears flow down my cheeks as I look down at her broken body. I have never witnessed Zura vulnerable. Her personality has always been large and her will strong. She would fight Orcs twice her size without a second thought of her own safety only to drink with them later on, win or lose. I have loved her since we were younglings, way before I realized what these markings on my body even represented.

My mind wanders back to the first time I saw her as I wipe her down with a cool wet rag, trying my best to get some of this dirt and blood off her skin so that I can access her true injuries … She was such a tiny little thing with frizzy, bright red hair, and dark eyes that were bigger than her entire face. I can remember I was standing behind my mother, watching some of the warriors train, when something bumped into me.

Somehow my youngling self reacted quickly enough that I caught her before she fell all the way to the ground. She said something to me, but I was so entranced by her beauty I didn't hear it. I can recall my mother taking her out of my arms and how angry that made me. " She is mine!" I recall yelling out, … that's when I saw another female standing near us.

She grabbed my little female away from my mother and stomped off through the crowd. My own mother had to hold me back from chasing after them, especially when my little female turned around and smiled at me. I didn't know her name, but I knew she was MINE .

My mother's words echo through my mind once again. She had bent down, so that she was at eye level with me, taking my arms in her hands, shaking me until I looked at her. " OrO , never speak those words aloud again. That little female's mother will never accept you. That female is powerful enough to take you from me, and I would never see you again. You stay away from her. She likes to portray that she is godly, but her heart is black and withered."

I remember my arms started tingling, and I lifted a shoulder up. Looking down. Mother noticed my eyes and gasped when she saw the gold runes lighting up all over my arms. Even though it was warm out, she took her cloak off and wrapped it around me tightly. Even though I was large for my age, she still managed to pick me up, walking us straight back home. She opened the door and instantly I started trying to escape so that I could find my little female again. " OrO stop!"

" She is MINE !"

" OrO , my sweet male. I know you think that, but that will never happen. Her mother hates me like no other. If things were reversed, I would probably feel the same way about her. I know our squabbles have nothing to do with you, but my little warrior, she will never allow you to be more than a friend to her daughter. We need to hide these marks until you are older. If the wrong Orcs see these … or God forbid the Head Priestess herself, they would kill you, simply so you wouldn't interrupt their plans. You are all I have left, OrO , and we must take care of each other.

" Anyway , you are a youngling yourself, and I won't allow my son to be forced into anything at your age. If your feelings grow for her on their own as you get older, or if she also gains the runes of a Kismet , then we will let the Lord of Light lead you both forward. Until then, promise me you will keep this a secret."

" Yes , Mother ."

" You promise?"

" Yes ."

From that moment on, I had to dye my arms. Especially when Zura was around. Until the rising when the Lord of Light took my mother, she made sure that no one ever saw my true skin. It had become such a ritual for me, I no longer noticed rubbing the stain on them any longer.

I shake my head out of those thoughts when Zura starts coughing. Pushing her matted and burned hair off her face, I try once again to get some water down her and thankfully this time she manages to swallow more than spills out.

She falls quiet once again and I hurry to remove the tattered pieces of clothing that are hardening quickly against her skin due to the blood that has soaked them. Diverting my eyes, I concentrate on getting her as clean as I can before pulling out the small healing kit in one of the crates. This unit will take care of some of her smaller cuts and mild burns, but I don't know what I can do for her leg or wrist.

The ground continues to shake as Mount Caldera wreaks havoc on the surrounding area. The air is hot and thick, but thankfully these caves seem to be holding up. I glance outward, wondering if any of the others have sought shelter and how many of my friends, I will have lost when this is all over.

Zura groans and I turn back, heartsick at the condition she is in. My own body is burned and torn, but she looks like she is moments from leaving me. " Zura , baby, you have got to help me here, you can't stop fighting. I know you're hurting, but I can't be in this world without knowing you're in it somewhere."

Starting at her head, I run the healer over her skin, amazed at what the small handheld machine is able to heal. I don't even make it to her stomach when the light starts flashing, letting me know it's already out of energy. Angry , I almost throw it against the wall, but my hand stops before I release it. Setting it on the ground, I rummage through the rest of the box, looking for anything that might ease some of her pain and help her heal some.

I find one small injector full of stimulants that I immediately inject her with. She needs a healer, but there is no way for me to get her to one. For a moment I contemplate leaving to go get help, but I can't leave her here alone. If the Lord of Light would take her while I was gone, I would never forgive myself for leaving.

Her wrist has doubled in size, and her leg is turning blue. The fact that I know little of healing has never been an issue before. I normally couldn't care less about my own injuries but at this moment. My ignorance might cost her life.

Emptying the last of the water onto the cleaning cloth, I wrap it around her wrist, hoping it will slow some of the swelling down. Even though I hate to hurt her, I'm going to have to reset that leg, or she'll end up losing it if the blood continues to be blocked off.

Putting one hand on her hip, I maneuver her upper thigh straight before taking hold of her knee. Running my fingers down it gently, I can feel the break in her femur. The very thought of hurting her worse has bile rising in my throat, making me sick. Before I can think about it any further, I shove down hard. Zura sits straight up a tortured scream leaving her lips. Her red swollen eyes gaze out empty as she tries to fight me off. Grabbing her, I pull her up against me, pinning her arms down so that she doesn't do any more damage to herself. " Sush , I got you, Zura , you're alright. It's OrO ; stop fighting me, baby, try to relax."

She settles, but her eyes can't seem to focus. I lower my head in time to hear her whisper my name before her eyes roll back in her head and she faints. To see Zura like this tears me to pieces, in all our years I've never seen her weak. It's like that tree not only destroyed her body but her will to live as well.

" Lord of Light , show me what to do. I can't lose her," I whisper out as I rock her gently for another moment before laying her back down. When I pull my arm away, the necklace she has always worn falls off. Picking it up, I start to set it aside when something on the top of her shoulder catches my eye.

It's a gold rune, the longer I look, the brighter it gets. The few places on her arms that are not injured also have bright spots appearing. My heart starts to beat rapidly. This can't be! All these years I have prayed for this burden to be taken away from me. The constant need of her has been never ending. Not to mention the fight to not let her know of my feelings is a battle I have grown weary of.

I've questioned the Lord of Light a million times WHY . Why did the gods tell me she was mine … only for it to be one-sided? Now , in the darkest time of our existence, they appear when my faith is at its lowest point. My instincts were not wrong, she has been mine all along. Zura is my Kismet , but how has this been hidden from me … us?

I glance down at the necklace in my hand only to notice that my own runes are gone. I throw it down and the second it is no longer touching my skin. My runes come back with a vengeance, glowing brightly even under the stain that has remained on my arms.

Zura coughing again distracts me from my thoughts. When she starts shivering, I find a light covering and pull it up over her. Blood instantly seeps through the blanket quickly from the open burns and blisters covering the majority of her body. As much as I would love to lie to myself, I know I am losing her. If we had been truly bonded, there might have been a chance our life forces would have been linked. I would gladly give my last breath if it meant she would survive. Staring down at the necklace on the floor, I make myself pick it up even as I curse its existence. Before I place it in my pocket, my mind wonders how it came to be around Zura's neck in the first place.

Laying my head on Zura's chest lightly, I listen to her heartbeat. The injection seems to be helping some because it doesn't seem as erratic as before and her breathing is slightly easier. While she is calm, I force myself up; I need to find more water. Most of these cave systems have multiple sources of it, but I will have to head back further into the darkness to find anything safe enough to drink.

Picking up the lantern, I hesitate. Zura will be terrified if she awakens in total darkness, but I can't get what she needs without the light. I am not sure I have ever felt this helpless. I make myself step away. Luckily , I am not far away when I hear a trickling of water coming down a wall. The stream is small, but in time it will give me what I need. Laying the water container under it, I head back to Zura .

She hasn't moved, but I can see her entire body trembling slightly. Exhausted , I lower myself down and lean up against the small cot. My eyes roam over her face, which is scrunched up in pain, and my mind recalls all the times it was lit up with mischievousness.